Monday, November 27, 2017

…to be thankful! Last Thursday was Thanksgiving,
the beginning of the holiday season and the perfect time to meditate on the
many blessings of this life. Here are a few of our favorite things that The
Brandon Foundation is extremely grateful for.

Our loving God who sent His Son to Earth to save
us

Miss Caty, our fearless leader

Our scholars for choosing to become Christian
leaders of their community

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Every two years in May, The Brandon Foundation hosts An
Evening to Empower, dinner and auction, to increase awareness and support for
the growing needs of underserved children in the Fort Wayne community. During
this event, we take time to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of our
students. This is also an evening to
show our gratitude and appreciation for our corporate and individual sponsors, volunteers,
parents and the countless others who have made our mission possible. It takes a
whole community to show students the power of their potential socially and
academically.

WHO: We would
like YOU to be part of the 2018 Evening to Empower to support and celebrate The
Brandon Foundation and our students. Share the excitement with some friends
while you’re at it!

If you would like to become an event sponsor, make an in
kind donation, or purchase a table, please email Rebecca Bormann, President of
the Board of Directors, at rebeccab262@gmail.com. You can also contact Rebecca
if you would like to be a part of the planning committee.

We're still in the early planning phases, but we’ll have
more details in the coming months!

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

What would the world look like if instead of meanness,
inconsideration and violence there was only kindness, compassion and
thoughtfulness? We’re far from that place right now, but there are people all
over the world looking to make a change. One such group created a competition,
or as they like to say a “coopetition” (a cooperative competition). It’s called
the Compassion Games: Survival of the Kindest, and The Brandon Foundation is
jumping in during the month of October.

2. Participants organize service projects, inspire and
perform acts of kindness and focus on giving back to their community.

3. After completing acts of kindness, participants report on
their activities, and the Compassion Report
Map tracks all of the details.

4. Share and celebrate to start a chain reaction of kindness
in the community!

The goal of the compassion games is to unify communities,
amplify kind works that are already happening, catalyze community engagement,
quantify experiences and impact, and actualize to grow the movement!

For now, our scholars
will be observing their local community and how they might make a change with
acts of kindness. After fall break, the game is on! I can’t wait to hear how it
goes!

By the way, we're in the early stages of planning for the 2018 Dinner & Auction, and we're looking for sponsors. If you'd like to contribute or have any questions, please contact Rebecca Bormann at rebeccab262@gmail.com.

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

The Brandon Foundation’s 5th school year will be
starting in just a few short weeks. Where does the time go?! Scholars, mentors
and our board members have all been busy this summer. Read on for a peak at
what we’ve been up to!

Some of our scholars went to summer camps. Medina, Aaliyah,
and Edyn attended a new camp this year, Camp Jameson in Indianapolis. They
swam, went on adventures and had a fun-filled week meeting new friends. DJ and
Deaundre developed their hoop skills at McCracken Basketball Camp. The 55 year
old organization emphasizes fun and helps each player to become the best
athlete that he or she can possibly be! While DJ and Deaundre were out on the
courts, Josh played football with Midwest Swagger Football Camp.

Our scholars are quickly maturing and becoming community
leaders! Dejiah, who will be starting her junior year of high school in the
coming weeks, had a job this summer at a local daycare. There, she was able to
put into practice the skills that she developed as a junior mentor to one of
our younger scholars during the 2016-17 school year. She also had a wonderful
opportunity to shadow in the Fort Wayne prosecutor’s office and has been
invited to return next summer for a full internship!

We also walked in the Three Rivers Festival Parade, for the
fifth consecutive year. Every year, our group in the parade gets a little
bigger. This year, 40 people walked with The Brandon Foundation float! There
were scholars, mentors, board members and lots of family out supporting us. The
theme for the parade was SUPERHEROES! Miss Caty designed our t-shirts this year
and reminded us all that “not all superheroes wear capes.” Ordinary people, following in Jesus’ ways,
can save the world one kind, loving action at a time.

Monday, May 22, 2017

It’s mid-May; summer is on the horizon! This time of year, two
big things are happening for The Brandon Foundation. The school year (and
weekly TBF sessions) is wrapping up, and our fundraising campaign is drawing to
a close. In case you were wondering what’s up on these fronts, here’s a little
update:

Last week at the foundation, our scholars created scrapbooks
to remember their favorite and proudest moments of the year and to remember
what they’ve learned. Here are few pages from their year.

In other news, we have just over a week until the end of our
fundraising campaign. We’re off to a great start with over $20,000 dollars
raised. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for all of your support from
individual donors to corporate sponsors! Your contributions are helping our
scholars’ dreams come true. That’s why at The Brandon Foundation you’re known
as a Dream Maker. We know that there are many incredible organizations to
donate money and time to and appreciate each and every contribution! Below are
our corporate sponsors and some of our top donors that we want to say an extra
special thank you to!

AIS Consulting

BKD – CPAs & Advisors

The Kuzmic Family

Lawrence Building

RMSM Foundation

Sweeney Law Firm

Three Rivers Federal Credit Union

Please prayerfully consider making a contribution, if you
have not already done so, to help us reach our goal of $30,000 in support of
our scholars for the next school year!

Saturday, April 8, 2017

Spring is in the air, and exciting things are happening for
The Brandon Foundation! This week, we kicked off the 2017 fundraising campaign
AND launched a website. While all of this was going on behind the scenes, our
scholars volunteered at Lutheran Life Village for our monthly service project
and have been writing letters to students going through similar life
situations.

Our goal for fundraising this year is $30,000 by June 1st.
These funds will be used in three areas: operational costs, resource
improvement and the college scholarship fund. In total, nearly 75% of the funds
raised will go directly to our scholars. In addition to covering the costs of day
to day programming and operating for the 2017-2018 school year, these funds
will ensure that every Brandon Foundation scholar has: school supplies, school
shoes, a winter coat and boots, the ability to attend extracurricular
activities and a summer camp, as well as other essentials as the needs arise.
Currently, The Brandon Foundation has 2 computers available for use by students
for research and school projects. As part of our resource improvement plan, we will
purchase a laptop for each scholar for our classroom. In the current digital
age, it is imperative that students are exposed to the many aspects of
technology and begin to learn the skills that will be necessary in the
workplaces of the future. Lastly, a portion of the funds raised will contribute
to our college scholarship fund. This year, we have four scholars in high
school, and we want to empower them each to continue their education and
provide financial aid.

After months of working closely with Brittany King, a local web
developer and digital content specialist, we have unveiled a brand new website,
https://thebrandonfoundation.org!
Here, you can find information about the history of The Brandon Foundation, how
you can become involved or make a donation, or read about what’s happening
recently with the organization.

Meanwhile, our scholars have been serving the older and the
younger of their communities. For our March service project, we went to
Lutheran Life Village to visit elderly residents. We played games, made root
beer floats, and brought cheer to all involved. As a more personal project, our
scholars have been writing letters to anonymous students who are going through
a tough time in their lives. We are learning how the pain we go through in life
can be turned into power to reach and change others’ live. Scholars write
encouraging notes which are handed out weekly by teachers. Sometimes hearing
(or reading) “you’re not alone” in what you’re going through is exactly what’s
needed. Our students are realizing that by showing vulnerability in their
struggles, they can help to heal others.

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Last month we shared what some of our scholars had to say about how being a part of The Brandon Foundation has affected them. This month, we bring you a few words from 4 of our mentors about what it means to them to be involved with The Brandon Foundation.

Miss Caty, Founder and Executive Director

Mentee: Isaiah

How/why did you become a mentor with TBF?

I became a mentor because I wanted to help kids realize
their potential and achieve their goals.

What makes TBF a special organization?

Every single student! I love my time with Isaiah and how he
listens when I give him advice. I REALLY love to serve on Saturdays, too.
Watching them become leaders has been an incredible part of this journey.

What is your favorite thing about being
involved with TBF or your favorite activity?

Getting to
know each student’s dream and helping them get to figure out how to make it
happen.

DeAundre: 1st
play

Dejiah:
Visit Indiana tech

Darrell and Khi: play soccer

Miss Tara, Board of Directors Treasurer

Mentee: De’Aundre

How/why did you become a mentor with TBF?

Miss Caty told me about her goals and dreams for the
foundation in the beginning stages and asked if I would be interested in being
a mentor.

What makes TBF a special organization?

The mentors and students build strong relationships. TBF
finds each student’s strengths and interests and nurtures individuality and
leadership.

What is your favorite thing about being
involved with TBF or your favorite activity?

My favorite thing is seeing the kids each week, and I love
listening to what students write during journaling.

Mr. Abdul

Mentee: Dejiah

How/why did you become a mentor with TBF?

I wanted to give back to the community. Miss Caty came to my
college and talked about TBF, and I’ve wanted to help with the progress ever
since.

What makes TBF a special organization?

I feel that the students make this place special. Their
different personalities make this place unique.

What is your favorite thing about being
involved with TBF or your favorite activity?

I like being able to meet up with my student on a weekly
basis. This place helps me feel that I am needed and loved.

Miss Kelly

Mentee: Shawnn Michael

How/why did you become a mentor with TBF?

I became a mentor because I knew some other mentors, and
they loved it. So, I decided to see what it was about. I immediately loved it,
and it means the world to me to help the kids. I recently got a tattoo of The
Brandon Foundation’s logo as a lifetime reminder of how the organization has
impacted my life.

What makes TBF a special organization?

TBF is special because not only do we help the children with
their homework, but we also try to teach them about being upstanding Christians
and that even though they are young, they can give back to the community and
make a difference in the world.

What is your favorite thing about being
involved with TBF or your favorite activity?

My favorite thing about being involved with the foundation
is helping the kids.

Thank you for reading!

Abby Bormann & The Brandon Foundation

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Sunday, February 12, 2017

In the fall, you heard a lot about what The Brandon
Foundation does and is. To start out 2017, I wanted to offer some perspective
about what The Brandon Foundation means to our scholars and mentors. With that,
I leave you to read a few words from our scholars.

An Interview with
Aaliyah and Edyn

What is your favorite
activity at The Brandon Foundation?

Aaliyah: Inspirational videos at the end of The Brandon
Foundation

Edyn: Service projects because I feel like I’m doing
something good. My favorite service project was the first one I did, with Kids
Against Hunger.

What is the most
important thing you’ve learned at The Brandon Foundation?

A: Learning about God.

E: Don’t let anyone stop you from achieving your goals and
dreams. I dream of becoming an actress and traveling the world before I leave
this world.

Aaliyah, what are
your goals?

A: My dream is to become a vet. My short-term goal is to
continue to achieve Honor Roll and to exceed the expectations for Honor Roll.

Who was your favorite
speaker and why?

A & E: The Christian rapper Mickey Young was their
favorite guest speaker because people doubted him and told him he couldn’t become
a successful Christian rapper, but he kept going and grew his career how he
wanted to.

What is a new
experience that you’ve been able to have because of The Brandon Foundation?

E: I got to try karate at The Brandon Foundation, and
afterwards I joined a karate class. I liked the self-defense aspect of it.

A: I enjoyed trying sculpting and step dancing for the first
time.

Survey responses
from De’Aundre and Isaiah

De’Aundre

What is the most
important thing you’ve learned at TBF?

I learned about hard work and dedication.

What is your favorite
thing to do at TBF?

Bonding with my mentor

Who was your favorite
speaker?

Christian rapper Mickey Young aka Deven Bridges

Isaiah

What is the most
important thing you’ve learned at TBF?

I learned to dream big and keep working hard. This is
important to me so that I won’t end up like my father.

What is your favorite
thing to do at TBF?

My favorite thing is talking to my mentor because she gives
me wisdom.

Youth Mentoring

The Program

When: Mondays & Tuesdays from 4:30 pm until 6:30 pm, during the school year (We follow the FWCS calendar)

Where: St. Henry's Community Center -- 2929 E. Paulding Rd. (46816)

Cost: FREE! Snacks provided!

Our Vision & Purpose: The Brandon Foundation is a non-profit organization that prizes ethical behavior and integrity, that seeks to provide educational empowerment with Christian spiritual foundations. We explore our scholars' gifts and guide them to be future leaders while filling the gaps according to individual needs. We reach out to parents to become resources that align with The Brandon Foundation program to create world changers.